I hope that by now you have heard
about AASL President Carl Harvey’s White
House Petition on School Libraries. 25,000 signatures are needed by February
4, 2012, in order for this petition to reach the desk of the President. We
are more than halfway there, but time is running out! In addition to signing
the petition, please take these steps to ensure that this petition is a
success:

Spread the word and see that at least ten of your friends or
family members also sign;

Work
with local educational groups, including the local PTA or PTO, and ask
them to mount a signing campaign;

Work with other community groups and ask them to get
involved.

School libraries
are everyone’s issue. Cuts in staffing or elimination of school library
programs in a specific community affect all libraries in that community,
whether it’s the public library now tasked with serving a school
curriculum, or higher education librarians teaching remedial information
literacy skills. In order for any of us to succeed, we must be willing to work
on these issues together to support our broader library eco-system. Please get
involved and help create awareness about the need to ensure that every student
has access to an effective school library program.

Please note that the petition is a
two-step process. You have to create an account, and then return to the web
page to sign. We’ve heard reports that it’s also temperamental: if
you have trouble signing, please try working in a different browser, or try in
off-peak hours. It might not be easy but please be persistent! Our school
library programs, and the children we serve, are so worth it.

Let’s show the world that we
can mobilize people to speak out for libraries. Anyone 13 or older can sign
the petition. Help us make this an issue that commands attention. Thank you
in advance for your efforts.